UNION, Mo. – The Hesston College baseball team won one game in a three-game series against East Central College over the weekend (Apr. 26-27). The series was originally slated as four games, but rainy weather forced the teams to cancel Sunday's second game. The Larks will wrap up the regular season this weekend (May 2-3) with a pair of doubleheaders against North Arkansas College.
Game 1 – Hesston College 7, East Central 6
The Larks and Falcons traded blows in the first three innings to end up tied 6-6 entering the fourth inning. Noel Cesena drove in the Larks first run with an RBI single to center. Hesston scored four runs in the second thanks to a three-run home run from Lucas Dunn and an RBI double by Kaleb Wise. Trentis Lane added to the score with a solo shot over the wall in left field. The Larks took the lead for good in the top of the seventh with a solo home run from Wise.
Wise and Sincere Lozano finished with two hits in the game and Dunn and Wise each had multiple RBI.
Zach Guntle earned the win tossing two scoreless innings with no hits and one walk and a strikeout. Camden Cornelius earned his third save of the season by tossing a scoreless final inning to secure the win.
Game 2 – Hesston College 0, East Central 10
Lark starter Yuya Omata held the Falcons to only one run through the first four innings, but they broke through in the fifth and sixth, plating nine runs winning the game via run-rule.
The Larks struggled offensively recording only three hits. Dunn hit his 21st double of the season, the most in Hesston baseball history.
Omata tossed five innings and allowed four runs on four hits while striking out four batters.
Game 3 – Hesston College 5, East Central 11
The Larks struck first as Jett Millsap sent a solo home run over the wall in straight away center, but the Falcons responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Hesston regained the lead in the second as a HBP and a walk set the stage for an RBI single by Richard and Millsap brought in his second a third runs of the day on a double to center. ECC took over in the third with a five-run rally to take the lead for good. Millsap hit his second home run of the day in the fourth, but that was where the scoring ended for Hesston. East Central scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings and added two more in the eighth to take the final game 11-5.
Millsap finished 4-for-5 with two homers and a double while batting in four runs. Richard, Cesena and Colin Pitzer also had multiple hits.
Richard was the starter for Hesston allowing eight runs (three earned) on ten hits and two walks while striking out a batter.
